Exporting PDF file from Pages results in bad text formatting when using Acrobat

I swear, if someone doesn't come up with a solution to this problem, I'm gonna hurl! HA!

I'm having the *exact* same problem as you, and have been searching for over a day for a resolution - nothing!! Not only is all my text jagged (as you illustrated here), my images are as well, and any other "effects". This is ridiculous!

I just recently switched from a Macbook Pro running Snow Leopard, to a new shiny iMac running Mountain Lion. This is when all my problems started... Same Acrobat version, same Pages version.

I've tried Export as PDF, Print to PDF, open them in Preview THEN export as PDF? Open the saved PDF into Illustrator, then re-save as PDF? Nothing fixes it. So I went back to my Macbook Pro, did everything the same (with the SAME document), and it works great. So I can only preclude that it's an issue with Mountain Lion.

I'm panicking here because I have sooooo.... many documents that I've done previously, that I will no doubt need to re-open and edit, then re-save as PDF moving forward. So what am I supposed to do to fix this?

HELP, someone!!!!! 😟 😟 ytimon001: were you able to find resolution on this at all?

Acrobat has a poor text rendering engine, and may be having trouble with the particular font version/type.

Preview shows the fonts fine.

Have you, or had you at some time, installed Ms Word? Microsoft installs its own version of some standard fonts which cause problems.

Peter

Do you have this problem also with Adobe Reader, or just with Acrobat?

Have you also checked the Adobe Acrobat forums?

That's blasphemy! LOL... just kidding. No, I've never installed any Microsoft product, at any time. Looks great in Preview, but awful in Acrobat (I'm using Acrobat Pro).

My clients use the standard Reader, I believe... and they're also complaining of display issues with these new PDFs I've sent them. I'm at a complete loss!! 😕

Are you referring to MsWord for PC? As viewed on a PC?

I have tested pdfs of identical text (you appear to be using ArialMT Bold) output from both Pages and Word for Mac, viewing them in Preview and both Acrobat Pro & Acrobat Reader.

In all cases the exports from Word for Mac and Pages appear identical, and Preview's rendering is better than Acrobat Pro or Reader. Acrobat's anti-aliasing is inferior to Preview's.

I don't have a PC at the moment to test the Acrobat for PC rendering, but have heard there is a problem.

If you like click on my blue name and email me the sample file that is rendering badly, I'll see if I can spot what the difference is.

Peter

Adobe Acrobat Reader 11.0.1 on Mountain Lion 10.8.2.

In Pages v4.3, I created the Intrusion Detected bullet text in 14pt Arial Rounded MT Bold.

Exported PDF (best) to Arial.pdf. However, without graphics content to rasterize at 300 dpi, the PDF content will remain resolution independent, and in Preview, image at the default system ppi. Acrobat Reader reports that value as 81 ppi from Preferences > Page Display. On Windows 7, the same version of Reader shows the system default as 96 ppi. With Preview and Reader both set to 100% on the Mac, but with Reader now set to 96 dpi, you can see the difference with both applications adjacent with Arial.pdf open.

With the PDF file still open in Reader, try toggling between 96 ppi and the reported system default. The font appears vertically squished at 81 ppi and this is reversed at the 96 ppi setting. This might have something to do with your screen snaps between OS X and Windows rendering differently too.

Adobe Acrobat Reader 11.0.02 on Mountain Lion 10.8.3. I have the same problem and find it makes most of Mac's fonts useless. I build a beautiful document in Pages, export to PDF so the world and clients can see it, and -poof- it looks terrible.

I also used Arial as sort of the lowest common denominator of plain font to see if it helped, and it does, but still looks very rough. I tried all the adjustments in System Prefs and Adobe Reader mentioned above and no improvement, sorry to say.

This issue seems to render all the beautiful, decades old Mac fonts and graphics useless; only my eyes see the beauty on my screen, everyone else looking at the PDF sees the jags. I love Mac and Pages and all, and with those, we should be the best at putting decent documents out to the world. But it's sure hard to turn out professional looking work with these circumstances.

Did anyone manage to solve this??

Difficult to solve a problem that the poster doesn't demonstrate, clearly define or follow through.

I never recieved any of the "badly rendered font" files.

Peter

See the screenshots above by ytimon001.

I have exactly the same problem. And I believe its a general problem.

The screenshots don't help.

Screenshots of what, using what font rendering, on Mac/PC in what document with exactly what font?

Can you provide a Pages document, with output to a PDF file that I can test and tell me precisely which version of Acrobat on what platform.

The statement that MsWord is producing better rendering PDFs is not true in my tests.

Peter

Yes, I will send it to you. The pages document, PDF output and version of Acrobat, although it doesn't matter if viewed through a browser, different reader etc. All them look the same. How do I send it too you though?

I don't think that is true. The problem is on Windows is it not? Using Windows' browsers, Acrobat etc.

Click on my blue name and use the email address.

Peter